Back From Wence We Came
by ShadowQuill262
Summary: A trio of hunters set out for the Old World from their home of Astera, travelling to the land their parents called home in order to grow beyond what the New World could offer. Yet are they ready for the challenges this new but ancient land can bring? Will they be able to stand together and defeat the original Elder Dragons?


It was another bright day in the New World, the clouds overhead doing little to hide the land below from the brilliant rays of the sun. Yet in this land of beauty, there were creatures that were powerful and terrifying, large enough to eat a man whole and rip entire cities apart if they so choose. It was because of these creatures, that the Research Commission had sent hunters from far and wide to settle in this land and to document the abilities and habits of these monsters. Few had dared to face the most powerful of these beasts, and yet a select number had managed to face the overwhelming power of the dragons and wyverns that called this land home and rose from the battles victorious.

It was one of these hunters, known to his comrades as The Razor Wind, and Mond to his friends, that found himself in the middle of the sweltering heat that was the Wildspire Waste. He had been tasked with hunting down the invasive species known as a Bazelgeuse in the area, and it was due to his skill with a blade that he knew he was up to the task.

The Bazelgeuse walked along the dusty trails of the Wildspire, its explosive belly scales dropping every few feet and detonating in small plumes of fire. The titanic wyvern was exhausted, having just gotten out of a turf war with its invasive counterpart, the Deviljho, leaving many weeping wounds on its sides and through the membranes of its sweeping wings. At that moment, it was passing through a narrow canyon, leaving no room for it to fly, even if it could with its wings as damaged as they were, meaning it was a sitting duck for the patient shadow resting in the rocks above.

Mond had been observing the wyvern for the better part of three hours, his Ghillie mantle keeping him hidden from the larger creatures as he waited for the perfect moment to strike. Normally Mond would have been wielding one of his long swords, focusing on taking out the monster's mobility and then killing it with a single strike. Yet for a creature of this size, he needed something more powerful to do the job.

Hanging off of his back, partly covered by his mantle, was his switch axe, the folding Kirin parts secured for the moment as he watched the Bazelgeuse walk along below his hiding place. He would only get one shot at this, so he waited for the perfect moment before standing up and removing his mantle. The soft clicking of his armor was enough to catch the attention of the wyvern below, making it pause directly below him as its head rose to look around. Mond took this second of distraction to pull out his weapon, leaping from the cliffs as his blade unfolded with a series of mechanical clicks and whirls.

Mond's jump landed him squarely on the Bazelgeuse' back, allowing him to dig into its scales between its enormous wings with his hunting knife as the monster let out an ear-shattering roar. Yet it did nothing to Mond's hearing because his armor protected him from the worst of the noise, allowing him to jump over to the wyvern's tail as he hacked and pried with his knife to try and weaken the thick scales that protected the monster's softer tissue.

Enraged now, the monster's belly scales began glowing a bright red as explosions echoed around the canyon, dust and rock flying everywhere as scales dropped all around, turning the once pristine ground into a pot-marked ruin. All the while, Mond worked to weaken the armor of the tail he clung to, finally working through the hide to the softer muscle beneath.

With his switch axe in hand, Mond stood up as the wyvern stopped for a moment, its energy having run out from both the hunter on its back and its earlier fight with the Deviljho.

"Take this you overgrown firecracker!" Mond cried as he stabbed into the weakened point he had created, the huge spiral point digging into the monster's tail as blood gushed from the impact. Yet that was only the beginning, as Mond activated the energy that had been saved inside the weapon, the blue horn material glowing a bright golden yellow as tremendous surges of stored electricity began arching along the blade and into the wound, blood and flesh alike sizzling as the elemental discharge grew more and more powerful. Finally, as the Bazelgeuse regained its breath and turned to try and smack Mond off of its tail, the discharge reached critical mass, exploding in a massive blast of lightning and gore as Mond was flung from the wyvern's back.

Bits of sparking flesh flew in every direction as the thicker part of the wyvern's tail hit the ground, the severed end having been cauterized by the raw power that had destroyed the connecting tissue. The scales dimmed as their connection to the monster's energy was cut off, leaving the writhing wyvern with only half of its original firepower.

Mond had been protected from the blast because he was wearing his full Bazel armor set, which negated the vast majority of explosive damage, although the heavy plate mail didn't help his lungs as much when he was tossed from the monster's back and hit the ground some feet away. Mond grunted as he pushed himself through the loss of air, switching his weapon into axe mode so it could build up the energy necessary for another discharge, just in case. He jogged up to the wyvern just as it got to its feet, its large head turning to face him as its eyes locked with his leonine helm.

"So you still have some fight left in you," Mond mused as the wounded creature roared at him, his armor once again blocking the sonic waves as he swung his axe behind him in preparation for the next strike, "commendable, but futile in the end."

The bronze-scaled titan charged at Mond, only to get the business end of his axe to the side of the face for its efforts, the series of razor-sharp tines biting into its flesh as its entire body was forced to one side, Mond's single side step taking him out of the way as the wyvern stumbled past him and flopped to the ground in a heap. The fresh gashes in its face seeped large amounts of blood while one of the tines had gouged into the wyvern's eye, blinding it on one side as Mond walked up to the wounded and yet still snarling monster.

"You have fought bravely," he stated as he switched his weapon into sword mode once again, the energy of the weapon making the blade glow as he met the gaze of his opponent, "go into death knowing your honor shall not go unanswered."

For a moment, Mond thought he saw a light of recognition in the wyvern's golden orbs, but it was there and gone so fast he figured it must have been his imagination. He hefted the blade high and reversed the grip, the giant spiral point coming down hard as the weapon dug into the wound his previous strike had created. A single whimper escaped the Bazelgeuse' mouth as the sword cut into its head, silenced seconds later as the point cut through its already weakened skull and into its brain. A small discharge of lightning was enough to finish off the rest of the dying monster's mind, the body twitching slightly as its nerves were destroyed by the electricity flowing through it.

Mond pulled the weapon from the monster, a pool of blood growing below the creature's head as he began carving the parts he needed from the body. He had been planning on making a new weapon for the coming trip to the Old World, and as he carved out the shining energy core of the Bazelgeuse, he finally collected the last piece he needed in order to make his new sword.

He turned to face the monster's head and knelt on one knee, placing a hand over the wyvern's eye before pulling the lid closed. He sat there for a moment, paying respects for the gifts he had been given by this hunt, only to jump as a thunderous roar echoed through the valley where he had laid his ambush.

Low and behold, the Deviljho he had seen fighting the Bazelgeuse earlier had come running at the smell of fresh blood, its rippling green hide beginning to split already as dark crimson dragon energy engorged its muscles.

Mond looked behind him at the corpse he had just finished carving, and then back to the hulking monstrosity that had come to scavenge off of the leftovers. His eyes narrowed under his helm as he switched into axe mode again, facing off against the swollen brute before him as he hefted the blade over a shoulder and bent his knees in preparation of another attack.

"My prey fought valiantly and showed honor in his death." Mond hissed as he made the first swing at the charging behemoth, catching it on the side of one leg and gouging into the its flesh down to the bone as he lunged out of the way.

Yet it did nothing to slow down the Deviljho's charge as it ploughed through the dirt behind Mond with its gaping mouth, digging through the dust and kicking up clods of dirt as the blood from its wound sizzled with the dragon energy coursing through its flesh. Knowing that raw force would not be enough to take down this monster, Mond shifted into sword mode as his blade lit up with a full charge of lightning, the glow reflecting off of his armor as he charged at the Deviljho before it could turn to face him.

"You shall not have the same mercy I showed him!" Mond cried as he slashed across the brute's face, cutting into the flesh and knocking off several of its outer teeth before being forced to dive out of the way to avoid getting crushed under the massive creature's bulk.

Mond knew that his hunt didn't have to continue, he had already gotten what he needed from the Bazelgeuse, but he would be damned if he let this overgrown pickle sully the honor of the hunt by desecrating the body of his prey. Honor deserved honor in kind, and Mond stood by that code even if his opponent was already dead.

"You are a monster among monsters," he growled as the hide of the Deviljho bulged out, muscle engorged with dragon energy as its hide split around the massive growths in its body, "and I will not allow you to destroy this land any further than you already have."

The Deviljho roared at Mond, breathing a sparking cloud of dragon energy at him as his blade cut through the air, the charged dragon bone digging into the creature's hide as he lunged through the pulsating smoke. He plunged his weapon into the monster's neck, the dragon energy canceling out the lightning as Mond clung to the side of the monster's face with everything he had.

Finally, Mond braced for the discharge but was shocked when nothing happened. The Deviljho roared and dragged its face along the ground, knocking off Mond as blood ran over its jaws in rivulets from the deep hole in the side of its face. Mond prepared for another assault as his weapon clicked and whirled back into axe mode, but it seemed that his ability to fight had been negated by the brute's energy. His weapon was now inert, leaving him with no real option but to retreat. Mond panted as sweat ran down his face, donning his mantle and making a hasty exit as the Deviljho began gorging itself on the remains of the Bazelgeuse. He fell to one knee once he was far enough away to avoid being detected, supporting his body with his weapon as he watched the Deviljho rip chucks of flesh from the other wyvern.

"One of these days," he growled as he forced himself to his feet, stowing his weapon as he began the walk back to Astera, "I will rid the New World of your filth. Mark my words, Deviljho, because one of these days my mark shall be on your head."

With that said, Mond disappeared into the bushes, the smoking and bloodstained ground slowly cooling as one final belly scale fell from the dead Bazelgeuse, clattering against the ground but unable to detonate as the sun began to set over the now silent Wildspire Waste.

Meanwhile, far to the North and deep in the bowels of the boneyard cesspool known as the Rotten Vale, another hunter was in the process of finishing his own hunt. Known as the Blood Berserker by most, and Murak to a close few, this hunter was just finishing his own hunt, having taken out an Odagaron female that had been threatening the other researchers in the area.

Murak plucked his hammer from the crushed chest of the fanged wyvern. Her dark red life blood oozed forth from the wounds inflicted by the large curved blade of Obliteration's Footfall. A piercing howl tore through the cavern, resonating deep within the chest of the hunter. A deep red aura began to creep forth from every inch of his mighty Nergigante armor. A surge of raw energy and rage filled Murak, just as potent as the hatred that now flowed forth from the male Odagaron that had just entered the nesting area. And sure enough, he was mad as hell upon finding his mate dead. Before Murak could get a potion to heal, the massive male was on top of him. Murak had fought Odagarons before but none hit like this one. The first slash bit deep, causing severe hemorrhaging from Murak's chest. Murak could feel the spot where the claws had bit into bone but had thankfully not cleaved them in half. Bleeding badly, Murak needed a way out of this before the hell hound slaughtered him. Thinking quickly, Murak looked for an escape route and smiled when he found a spore puff nearby. He full out sprinted even though each step sent another gush of blood from his body.

Just before the Odagaron lunged for the kill, poof, Murak was enveloped in grey wisps of spores causing the monster to lose sight of him. It howled and barked and looked for him to no avail. Murak laid low in the grey obstruction while eating a piece of Astera jerky, which kicked his already high healing factor into another gear. His wounds sealed within seconds and his strength returned.

"My turn you overgrown mutt." Murak said, hoisting his hammer. With a deep bellow of a war cry he rushed from cover, climbing up a ledge and leaping from it onto the monster's back, bring down a massive strike between its shoulder blades. A broken howl of pain escaped the great beast's muzzle as Murak buried his hunting blade deep into the beast's hide. Holding on for his life, Murak pulled the blade up and slammed it back home, peeling away plate after plate of red armor. The hound tried its hardest to shake him loose, bucking and slamming into the walls around them but unable to shake the man clinging to its back.

The titanic hound quickly tired from its efforts and began to pant, holding still long enough to allow Murak to place his footing firm and raise his mighty hammer. Rage and draconic energy surged into the bulk of the hammer and with a huge heft, Murak swung the weapon down. The spines were the first to bite into the raw flesh of the creature, and then the weight and rage followed with even greater force. The monster was sent sprawling as bones shattered and splintered under the weight of the blow, the sudden shifting sending Murak flying from his feet to the ground of the Rotten Vale. However, this did not keep him down for long. Back on his guard and feeling his body surging once again, he began his violent assault on the creature's head. With each down swing, armor and blood were sent flying causing Murak's hammer to gorge itself. And thus, it began again. The feral craving for more blood and destruction. Soon the voice would begin to speak in his head, as this was the price he paid for wearing the armor of an Elder. The Elder that eats other Elders.

"More blood of the damned!" The spirit of the dragon roared in his head with each swing. "Sinners must pay for their crimes and this one is stained with the blood of many innocents, both monster and hunter alike." Murak tried to ignore it to no avail. Finally, the monster made it to its feet and began its assault anew. A mighty tail swing connecting to Murak's chest, sent him flying into a pile of bones and rot. Taking a deep breath and wheezing, Murak stood to find the Odagaron running from the area. The red aura soon faded, and the numbing pain returned to his mind. Quickly pulling a potion from his pouch, he downed the green elixir without a second thought. Soon, the pain vanished and his strength returned as the voice faded into obscurity. Sighing with relief, Murak began his hunt again. Following the scout flies to the monster was easy, but the blood trail it was leaving in its wake was just as good. Just as he turned the corner into another section of the Vale, the scout flies flared red and disappeared into his belt, leaving Murak with little warning as the beast charged straight for him. With a mighty roar, the Odogaron greeted the refreshed hunter with a dire lunge, its jaws wide open and ready to rip Murak to shreds.

The bite would have taken Murak's head from his shoulders if not for his reflexes, sending his monstrous maul of flesh, bone, metal, and spines into the side of the creature's head. One of the black and white quills found its home in the Odogaron's right eye, tearing the orb asunder and ripping a horrid howl from the monster's chest as the rest of the impact traveled into the monster's frame, flinging it sideways. Murak steadied himself and watched as the hound ran circles, trying to escape the searing pain in its skull. However, the beast soon returned its gaze to Murak and slashed at him with extended claws. They bit again into the spiked armor and this time tore into softer tissues. If not for Murak's lunge backwards, the blow would have disemboweled him on the spot. A cry of agony sprung from the wounded warrior's lips as he tumbled away. Before he would get a chance to try and pull a potion from his bag. The Odagaron was set upon him once more.

Diving towards the monster in a roll that sent blood flying from his wounds, Murak dodged the secondary attack and found himself near the monsters back leg. A black surge of pure rage enveloped Murak's body and mind. With a wild swing to the lower section of the creature's scarred leg, there was a snapping sound as the hammer made contact. Muscles tore and bones splintered from the impact as the weapon destroyed the monster's leg. The Odogaron released a scream and retreated a small distance before turning back on the wounded hunter, its eyes burning with fury and pain.

Deep gashes ran through Murak's armor, blood seeped and flowed from these gouges. The scared hound stalked around the weakened hunter slowly, wearing its own old wounds from previous battles. But it was the new ones that crisscrossed the crimson hide of the beast that proved it was able to be beaten. Red ichor oozed with each step as it shifted on its feet, trying to hold weight off its now broken leg.

The mighty hunter hefted his large hammer, spines still glistening with blood from the last strike that bit and chewed its way into the softer flesh underneath the monster's hard armor. A bright green aura started to creep up the shaft of the titanic weapon, climbing its way into his armor and engulfing the hunter in deep emerald. Billows of steam snaked their way from his wounds, healing each gash as the armor sealing itself in mere seconds. A devilish smile grew across Murak's face, even though the monster couldn't see it due to his horned helm, but it could be felt as he straightened from his crouched position. His weapons passive ability had kicked in and he was ready for the final round.

A primal roar left the Odagarons busted muzzle, sending blood and teeth into the air, its mind flying into a demonic rage as streaks of burning crimson ran between the gaps in its armor like giant veins of searing energy. Its cry could be heard all the way back in Astera, and sent smaller monsters scurrying for safety. Murak's armor began to glow again, now being fueled by the fury coming from the enraged monster. Murak rushed in as the Odagaron launched at him with great speed, the fanged wyvern aiming to finish him in a single hit. But it never saw the hammer through its wounded eye. The blow was immense, crushing bone and plated armor alike and sending chunks of gore into the air before tossing the speed demon sideways. The impact was enough to even send Murak off his feet and sprawling, the only thing that stopped the Odagaron from flying further was the massive bone that made up the wall of its lair.

The sound of bones breaking, and the wet snapping of flesh filled the air followed by a pitiful whimper. Murak rose from the litter pile of rotting flesh that he had been flung into, walking towards the heaving form of the broken beast. It attempted to lift its head but it was of no use. The strike has crushed its skull, probably sending shards of bone into its brain and causing all sorts of damage. Murak lifted his hammer and turned it around to sport its curved rear blade. With the last of his strength he pulled the weapon high and prayed that the strike would be enough to finish the mighty beast off. With a grunt of effort, Murak brought the weapon down, cleaving the head of the beast from its body in one fatal swoop. As the monster's head flopped to the ground with a wet thud, Murak let the handle of his weapon go with a sigh of relief, taking a step back. Bowing his head, he gave thanks for this great hunt and for the monster's ability to push him so far. He carved the pieces he could before he headed back for home. He still had to pack before they had to set off for their new mission into lands unknown to him.

As Murak began his trek back to Astera from the Rotten Vale, a third hunt was only just beginning, taking place between the towering outcroppings of the Coral Highlands. Nestled among the hanging vines that curtained from the living towers, her Legiana armor blending in with the bright blue sky, was Glacia, better known to the Commission as The Undying. Her target was currently flying above in the spore-filled air, its wide wings carrying it overhead before diving down to land in the open plateau below the vines that Glacia had hidden within.

The sleek armor clung to her body like a second skin, the gentle breeze that pervaded the Highlands at all times causing the vines around Glacia to shift and sway ever so slightly as the Legiana below her walked along without a care. It was the queen of the skies and its chilling attacks would make even other apex predators think twice before attacking. Yet this meant nothing to Glacia, who had hunted many Legiana in the past and knew just how to deal with their rather frigid disposition.

Hanging off of the hunter's back, was her Lunestra charge blade, the ice blue metal sparking slightly with hidden explosive power as Glacia waited for the perfect moment to strike. She had charged the energy phials within her weapon by taking out some of the smaller monsters prior to setting up her ambush, although she knew it wouldn't be enough to take out such a powerful monster in one blow, no matter how much she wished otherwise. Yet this only excited the hunter as her prey drew closer, because there was no true point in a hunt if it didn't present a challenge.

The head of the ice wyvern rose on its long neck as it looked about, never suspecting of the attack that would come from above mere seconds later. Glacia let out a battle cry as her weapon extended into a titanic spinning blade, the phials charging the axe with explosive potential as she brought it down upon the base of the monster's left wing. A deafening explosion rang out across the Highlands as the first of Glacia's phials used up its charge, the Legiana screeching in both pain and surprise as its left wing hung limp in its socket. The explosion had taken the force of Glacia's swing and multiplied it several times over as the razor-sharp blades dug into the monster's shoulder, the joint dislocating rather than being completely severed as the wyvern turned to face its attacker.

Glacia's weapon retracted back into its sword and shield configuration as she prepared for the monster's rebuttal, and she was not disappointed as the long, fanned tail spun around in an attempt to freeze her with a blast of frozen energy. Her shield took the brunt of the assault, her footing sliding back a foot or two as she returned the attack with one of her own, her short blade cutting through the thin webbing of the monster's tail like a hot knife through butter.

Fresh blood ran from the laceration as the wyvern screeched again, its wings flaring wide as its dislocated shoulder popped back into place, leaving only a large burn and a few deep cuts to mark Glacia's initial attack. Frost gathered on the underside of its wings and Glacia dived to one side as a wave of frozen air rushed through the space she had just been, the ground cracking from the sudden chill as the wyvern took to the skies to begin its proper assault.

Knowing that the wyvern would be nearly impossible to hit unless she used her axe configuration, Glacia chose instead to sheath her sword in the shield portion, arming her slinger with a flash pod once her weapon was stowed on her back. She dove to the side once again as the Legiana spiraled through her position in a frozen maelstrom, her slinger firing just as the monster turned to face her once again and illuminating the area with a blinding eruption of light.

Disoriented and unable to see, the Legiana fell from the air and began writhing on the ground as Glacia pulled her weapon free once again, her sword charging with energy as she rushed in and made several swift cuts along the monster's right wing and torso. More blood gushed from the wounds and stained the coral crimson as Glacia plunged her sword into her shield, taking the energy from the phial and restoring the energy she had used in the initial blast. Now with a full charge, Glacia powered up her axe and swung it in a wide arc, letting the blades build up all of their collected energy as she brought the full power of her weapon to bear.

"Bring the thunder!" She cried as she swung the weapon into the center of the wyvern's back, the spinning blades digging deep as the explosive energy discharged in a series of chained detonations.

Coral flew in every direction as bits and pieces of the Legiana's wing membranes tore in several places, chunks of its body flown far and wide as the combined explosions ripped the monster's flesh apart. A shrill cry of agony pierced the thunderous echoes as Glacia retracted her weapon, its energy now fully spent as the Legiana before her fell limply to the ground. She waited for a moment to be sure the monster was dead, before stowing her weapon and walking up to the wyvern's head.

Her hunting knife flashed in the sunlight as she cut off one of the long horns that adorned the creature's head, proof of her successful hunt as she turned away from the carcass. She paid the gaping wound and exposed bone in the monster's back no mind as she walked around its smoking body, her steps carrying her to the wyvern's clawed feet as her blade once again flashed in the sunlight. Two talons fell free and were stowed in her armor alongside the horn, parts that would be forged into her final piece of gear before she and a select group of hunters set out for the Old World.

It had been a long day and it was sure to be another once the sun rose the following morn, because once the hunters and their partners were ready to go, they would be leaving behind their home and travelling to the land of their forefathers. A much larger and ancient place that held dangers both big and small for those who were unprepared. Mond, Murak and Glacia, together with their handlers, would be leaving the place they had grown up knowing and returning to the Old World in order to continue the work they had trained their entire lives for.

One way or another, their journey was shaping up to be one of the greatest adventures of all time.


End file.
